Marine tow-line with snap-on fairing



March .22, 1966 R. 1.. RATHER ETAL MARINE TOW-LINE WITH SNAP ON FAIRING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1964 llll I willnxwls| ll Roy 1. Faffie/ l ///77u//7 l? Goer/o/va INVENTORS March 22, 1966 I R 1.. RATHER ETAL MARINE TOW-LINE WITH SNAP-ON FAIRING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June a, 1964 IN VENTORS BY WWW "Mrch 22,1966 R. RATHER m 3,2

MARINE TOW-LINE WITH SNAP-ON FAIRING Filed June's, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet s Rog A. Raf/76w VMmuZ/z P. GOer/OWQ 1w INVENTORS A TT'ORNEYJ United States Patent 3,241,513 MARINE TUW-LINE WITH SNAP-ON FAIRENG Roy L. Rather and Viimuth ll. Goerland, Houston, Tex., assignors to Commercial Engineering Corporation, Houston. Tex a corporation of Texas Fiied .lune 5', W64, Ser. No. 372,933 24 Claims. (Cl. 114-4535) This invention relates to marine tow-line of the type employed to tow submerged objects during oceanographic surveys and the like and is particularly concerned With providing tow-line assemblies of simplified construction wherein the fairing member may be assembled with the tow-line by snap-on means.

It is typical of faired marine tow-line assemblies to provide fairing members having parallel side-walls of equal lengths and requiring a plurality of ancillary components to achieve assembly of the fairing with its loadbearing and conductor lines. However, such assemblies can only be coiled about a stowage drum in one layer because of their bulk and because of the possibility of the fairings interfering with one another during the reeling and unreeling processes. This single-lay limitation, as a practical matter, greatly restricts the lengths of line that can be stored and hence the depth to which such a line can be lowered. Special handling equipment is required, especially large drums, if enough cable is carried and handled to reach even relatively shallow depths. In addition, these assemblies are somewhat difficult to assemble and/or disassemble because of the number of parts involved.

It is true that unfaired lines towed from a vessel will have such high drag qualities that the bottom part of the line is quite unpredictable and rarely positioned directly behind the ship as desired. Even during the lowering operation, water currents often cause the line to drift in an undesired manner.

Paired assemblies of the type described above are only partly satisfactory in significantly reducing drag. Among the reasons that complete satisfaction has not been achieved are that such fairing assemblies lowered from vessels that maneuver about often become twisted, entangled, broken, or otherwise disturbed. Vibrations established on the line often interfere with reliable data results transmitted on the line by setting up false vibration patterns.

Prior art structures have not successfully combined a fairing assembly with convenient snap-on characteristics for a tow-line assembly.

It is, therefore, a general object of this invention to provide a snap-on fairing structure requiring a minimum number of component parts for assembly and disassembly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a quickly releasable fairing structure suitable in any length, which is not limited by the necessity of being stored on a drum with the tow-line to which it is attached during use.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a fairing assembly that permits the load-bearing line to turn freely about within each fairing.

In general, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a fairing formed from an extrusion of a lightweight material such as aluminum or plastic one of its lateral edges inturned to form an ovoid channel portion having bilaterally symmetrical side-walls of equal radius. This first, and shorter lateral inturned edge is slotted through its apex and swaged away from the larger and essentially fiat portion, or fin, so that the larger fin lies in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of the channel formed by the inturned lateral edge thereof. The exact angular offset will be determined by the position of the fin with respect to the apex to give neutral swim "ice characteristics to the fairing. This means that the fairing will not have a tendency to drift either to the right or left and that the streamlining is such that current passing by the edges will flow smoothly without vibrating the line.

Extrusion has been found to be the simplest and most convenient method of forming the fairing, although other methods, such as die casting and shaping an aluminum sheet, are possible alternatives. The inturned edge portion of the fairing which forms the ovoid channel is spaced across its open edge a sufiicient distance to receive and release the load-bearing line and any conductor lines that may be carried internally to the load-bearing line.

Clamping means that will transfer the weight of the fairings to the load-bearing line and that will prevent displacement of the load-bearing line from the channel member during towing operations may be provided in at least two ways. A slot can be provided through the apex of the channel member sufficiently large to expose the loadbearing line for securement. Also, notches through the apex of the channel member at the end of the fairing to provide restricting shoulders can be provided for securement. In any event, the clamps used for securing are sufiiciently large so that they will not pull through the lateral opening between the Walls of the ovoid channel. Thus, it may be seen that assembly of the load-bearing and conductor line with the fairings is quickly accomplished by simple snap-on means.

To speed assembly even more, spacers of the type shown in FIGS. 7-9 or equivalent can be used. When spacers are used, the load-bearing clamps are still used, but at intervals, the interval spacing being determined by the load-bearing ability of the clamps.

An assembly comprising a load-bearing line with fairings having a configuration similar to the embodiment shown herein have been found to have approximately twothirds less towing drag to the resistance of current flow than the bare load-bearing line by itself. This allows for a more vertically positioned tow-line while towing, a more vertical descent while the line is being lowered, and a decreased propensity to drift with current flow when the vessel from which the line has been lowered anchors in a fixed location.

When it is desired to make an intermediate connection along the length of the lowered cable, for instance to connect a sensor to one of the internal conductors, a T connector can be inserted between fairings. At the one location of such a connection, the hydrodynamic properties are upset, but the overall effect of the complete line is not largely disturbed.

More particular illustration of this invention may be had by reference to the particular embodiments thereof which have been illustrated in the appended drawings, which form a part of this specification, and described in detail in the following portion of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric side elevation showing a fairing member embodying this invention and illustrating, partly in dotted lines, the maner in which the a loadbearing and electrical conductor line may be quickly assembled with the fairing member. In FIG. 1 the clamp employed to engage fairing and load-bearing and conductor lines is illustrated in open disassembly condition.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric side elevation showing the fairing of FIG. 1 completely assembled and with the loadbearing and electrical conductor lines engaged by the clamp.

FIGURE 3 is a section view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged schematic showing a typical load-bearing and electrical conductor line: in dotted line about to be engaged by a clamping means of the type employed by this invention.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of another fairing member embodiment incorporating this invention.

FIGURE 6 is an isometric side elevation of the fairing member embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and illustrating the manner in which the load-bearing and electrical conductor line is assembled within the fairing member.

FIGURE 7 is an oblique view of one embodiment of this invention used in a typical towed assembly.

FIGURE 8 is an exploded View of the fairing spacer used in the assembly shown in FIG. 7.

FIGURE 9 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a fairing spacer.

22front section 23-tail section 24fairing spacer 5load-bearing line 6conductors 7-swaged extension, fin,

or web 25lower clamp 8clamp 26upper clamp 9fairing 27left half notches 28right half 29-upper edge 3Illower edge 1llinclined edge 12compliant packing 13packing edge 3Ihinge 14packing edge 32Y edge alternate fairing 33--lower projection 16side walls of tail sec- 34edge tion, web 35sloping inside front 17-tongue edge A faired marine tow-line assembly normally is towed in a relatively straight line. However, it is not unusual for the towing vesel to stop and back down. Occasionally, the vessel may take a rather sudden turn, even to the extent of turning completely about. When this occurs, the load-bearing line will merely twist inside the fairings described herein. If there is more twist in one fairing than in another, the readily detachable fairings embodying the present invention will pretty much stay aligned, there being no positive connection between adjacent fairings. After a new direction of travel has been established, the fairings will smoothly realign themselves accordingly without engaging one another setting up vibration patterns on the towed line to interfere with whatever transmission patterns that are present.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, a fairing member, one of many of such identical members comprising a faired tow-line assembly, generally indicated by reference numeral 9 is formed from a material such as aluminum, which can be formed by the preferred extrusion process. In forming fairing 9, the basic extruded material is inturned at one of its lateral marginal edges to define a channel member generally indicated by reference numeral l, which channel member has a pair of bilaterally symmetrical arcuate sidewalls 2 open at their ends and defining an apex portion 3. However, the greater portion of fairing 9 forms swaged extension 7 of one of side-walls 2. Intermediate the open ends of channel member l is a slot 4 which opens channel member 1 through its apex 3 to mateably receive a removable clamping member 8. Clamping member 8 is of larger outside diameter than the inside diameter of channel 1 to prevent its pulling out the open edge of the ovoid channel and releasing the fairing from the loadbearing line to secure the fairing member in a fixed longitudinal relationship with respect to the other fairing members of the faired assembly.

Swaged extension 7, otherwise referred to as the fin or web member, is positioned toward the rear of the fairing behind the channel apex to give the overall structure neutral hydrodynamic stability characteristics. The fin may or may not be exactly aligned wtih the center of the apex, but will be approximately aligned in this position.

Outwardly sloping inclined edges 11 have been provided from a point approximately midway of both the top and bottom edge of slot 4 for ease of attaching and removing clamp 8. In the secured position shown in FIG. 2, there is a sli ht spacing between the edges of slot 4 and the ends of clamp 8 to allow the fairing 9 to swivel freely about load-bearing line 5. Notches 10 can be provided in channel It in lieu of slot 4.

Thus, to assembly fairing 9 having a slot 4 with loadbearing line 5 carrying concentric conductors 6, line 5 is simply inserted into channel member 1 through the lateral opening between arcuate side-walls 2 as generally illustrated in FIGURE 1 subsequent to which, as generally illustrated in FIGURE 2, clamp is secured to line 5 in slot 4.

The fairing is operable with any load-bearing line capable of being inserted through the opening of the channel, even by a forced fit, since the channel itself is slightly larger than the opening.

When notches are used, clamp 8 is first placed on the load-bearing line, fairing 9 is snapped-on the line above the clamp, the fairing is lowered onto the clamp so that the clamp slides inside the notch in the fairing, another clamp is secured resting in the top notch of the fairing, and the succeeding fairing is placed in position. Again, the fit between clamp and fairing is left slightly loose so as to permit freedom of swivel movement of the fairings. It is seen that a clamp 8 is provided between fairings; therefore, the clamp must be longer than twice the depth of a notch 10 to prevent binding. Notches It are not provided with inclined sloping edges so that the loadbearing line is held stable relative to the edge of the fairing even when the load-bearing line bends slightly and to minimize the possibility of the clamp sliding down the slope to cause line wear on the edge of the fairing.

The alternate fairing embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate another convenient fairing structure capable of free rotation about a load-bearing line. Essentially fairing 15 comprises front section 22 and tail section 23. Front section 22 is similar in shape to the front portion of fairing 9 described above in that it is symmetrical and includes a channel 1 between two arcuate side walls 2 for encircling load-bearing line 5, WhlCh may surround internal conductors 6. Also like fairing 9, fairing 15 is alternately secured about load-bearing line 5 via clamp 8 and either a slot 4 or notches N. For convenience of manipulating clamp 8 within slot 45, slot 5 is pro-vided with outwardly sloping inclined edges 11 starting from a point approximately midway of the slot depth.

Front section 22 is connected to tail section 23 via a tongue-and-groove arrangement. In the illustration, tongues 17 and 18 are shown as extensions of the side walls of the front section 22 inserted in grooves 19 and 20 in the leading edges of the tail section 23. Other convenient tongue-and-groove arrangements may readily be used rather than the one shown; for instance, the tongues may be made a part of the tail section rather than the front section.

Even alternative methods of attaching a two-section fairing, other than by a tongue-and-groove arrangement shown, are possible. One such arrangement (not shown) is hingedly attaching the two sections together. A snap catch is then used to retain the fairing about the loadbearing line. In such an arrangement the two webs or fins, equivalent to side walls 16 in FIG. 5, may be opened or nonjoined at the rear of the tail section so that each web can swivel separately.

The recess 21 in the inside surface of the leading edge of front section 22 is for manufacturing convenience. The recess permits the section to be easily extruded, reducing the amount of material needed to fabricate the assembly as compared with a section extruded without the recess, without materially reducing the strength of the assembly.

In assembling fairing .15, one can merely place the front section 22 about the line in the appropriate position, slide the tail section together with the front section so that the tongues and grooves mateably engage, and fasten clamp 8 to load-bearing line 5 in slot 4. Of course, there will have to be a stop means when the fairing is assembled, such as a narrowed portion of the groove, to prevent the tail section from moving longitudinally with respect to the front section and becoming disconnected.

When notches are used instead of slot 4, a clamp 8 can be fastened to line 5 first. The fairing can then be assembled about line 5 at a point above clamp 8 and the fairing lowered so that the notch 10 receives clamp 8. Another clamp 8 is then placed about line 5 and located in notch 10 at the top edge of the fairing. This permits another fairing assembly to be placed in position using this last clamp to fit into the notch in its lower edge. As with fairing 9 shown in FIGS. 13, notches it) are less than one-half the length of clamp 8 to allow adjacent fairings to move freely with respect to each other without interference.

It should be noted that in the FIGS. 5-6 embodiment the side walls 16 or webs, of the twin-tail structure are symmetrical and aligned with the channel apex of the front section to provide the overall fairing with neutral hydrodynamic stability characteristics.

For any of the embodiments described above, to disassemble the faired tow-line, one need only remove clamp 8 as by prying its inter-engaging jaw members apart and swinging its halves away from each other to remove the clamp 8 from line 5, after which line 5 may be withdrawn from channel member 1 in the same manner that it was placed in channel member 1.

As will be observed in FIG. 4, clamp 8 used to secure the load bearing line 5 within channel 1 of the fairing is internally lined with a compliant packing 12, such as rubber. When clamp 8 is shut the compliant packing is energized to hold clamp 8 in firm position. When clamp 8 is released, it falls readily from the line. As an aid in preventing the packing from sticking to the line, the compliant packing does not completely cover the inside surface of the clamp, but is cut back at edges 13 and 14. Each half of the clamp then has an internal packing of only about 140 degrees.

The above discussion assumes that a load-bearing clamping means, such as clamp 8, will be used with every fairing 9 for transferring the load of the fairing to the load-bearing line. Actually, this is not necessary.

As shown in FIG. 7, a series of fairings 9, identical to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, are disposed along the load-bearing line. The fairings illustrated are of the type with notches 10 cut in their upper and lower edges. Lower clamp 25, identical to clamp 8 of FIGS. 1 and 2, is attached to the load-bearing line as described above. Successive fairings 9 are then placed about the loadbearing line separated by spacers 24, rather than clamps 8. After six fairings 9 have been secured to the line, another clamp 8, designated as upper clamp 26, is used.

It is apparent that the number of places where spacers 24 are used rather than clamps 8 (as at 25 and 26) is dependent upon the load of the fairings .and hence how often the use of load-bearing clamps are desirable.

The fairing spacer is best shown being inserted on the load-bearing line in the exploded view of FIG. 8. Here the lower fairing 9 has already been secured to the line. The flexibly hinged spacer 24 is then opened and closed about the line with its downward projections being approximately on the same side of the cable as the fin of the lower fairing 9.

The spacer is then lowered to its seated position inside upper notch 10. Upper fairing 9 is placed about the load-bearing line and lowered until its lower notch 10 fits over the spacer.

inside the spacer.

In its position of use, the projections downwardly ex tending from the body of the spacer wedge into the channel of the fairings located below the spacer so as to become rigidly a part thereof. This locks the spacer in place to prevent it from opening and to prevent its loss. This is particularly important since a loss spacer would most likely result in the loss of a few faired sections.

By contrast, the lower notch of the fairing located above the spacer loosely accommodates the spacer so that the top edge of the spacer merely abuts the edge of the fairing within the notch. This allows complete freedom of movement of the upper fairing rotationally with respect to the spacer and the lower fairing to which it has become attached.

The inside hole of spacer 24 in the position of use just described is made larger than the load-bearing line which it surrounds. This means that there is no gripping action and no transfer of weight of the fairin-gs to the line by the spacer so that the line is free to turn about The entire weight transfer of a faired assembly is via clamps 8, shown as 25 and 26 in FIG. 7, disposed at convenient intervals along the line.

It will be noted then that spacer 24 performs three functions. First, it keeps the adjacent fairings from contacting one another, thereby allowing them to swivel about the load-bearing line independently. Second, it allows the load-bearing line to twist freely with respect to the fairings. Third, it retains the line within the channels of the adjacent fairings.

An isometric elevation view of fairing spacer 24 is shown in FIG. 9. The spacer is made of material such as hard plastic (e.g. polyethylene), wood, hard rubber, or the like and can be thought of as comprising two halves 27 and 28, which are mirror copies of one another. Because of the identical nature of .the two halves, only right half 28 is described in detail. For ease of reference, the open side between 27 and 28 is referred to as the front of the spacer.

Right half 28 is arcuate shaped longitudinally to accommodate the load-bearing line. Upper edge 29 and lower edge 30 are essentially transverse to the longitudinal axis to mateably abut the fairing edges within the proximate accommodating notches of the adjacent fairings.

Lower projection 33 downwardly depends from the approximate front 60-degree portion of lower edge 30, the projection being approximately equal in length to the longitudinal body dimension between edges 29 and 30. The lowest portion of projection 33 is shaped to form a blunt point by inwardly inclining sloping edge 34. Other edges, such as the back edge of projection 33 (not shown) may also be sloped to accentuate the point at the lowest end of the projection.

Starting at a point approximately 30 degrees from the front on upper edge 29, a sloping surface inclines to a place on inside front edge 35 slightly below lower edge 30. Just before the sloping edge contacts the inside front edge, the slope changes angle slightly so that the sloping edge extends down even slightly lower on the inside front edge of projection 33 than the original slope would have placed it. The entire sloping edge is designated as Y edge 32.

It will be seen that when left half 27 and right half 28 are placed in facing relationship, Y edge 32 of right half 28 forms a Y with the complementary edge of left half 27.

Left half 27 is hingedly secured to right half 28 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 by a hinge 31, such as an adhesive tape material.

Alternately left half 27 and right half 28 can be made as a single unit leaving .a joining piece of material near the back edge of the adjoining edge. The natural resiliency of the material is sufficient to allow the spacer to be opened for fitting around the line, as explained above.

The fairings, clamps, and when used, the spacers are stored separately after being disassembled from the load- 7 bearing line. This means that standard drums carrying multiple layers of load-bearing line of great length can be used. The fairings are not wound about the drum, as in prior art fixed fairing tow-line structures, and therefore can be made in lengths much longer than before, handling convenience being the only limitation.

From the foregoing it may readily be seen that the fairings of this invention provide a simple snap-0n mechanism adapted for ready assembly and disassembly with the load-bearing and conductor lines of a typical faired tow-line structure. It is to be understood, however, that the invention will admit of other embodiments and that illustration and description of these particular embodiments is given solely to facilitate further understanding of the invention itself by those skilled in the art and may not, therefore, be construed as limiting of the invention itself which is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls with an opening through its apex;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said side walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

means releasably engaging said line within said apex opening to releasably retain said line within said channel.

2. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex intermediate its ends;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said side walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

means releasably engaging said line within said apex slot to releasably retain said line within said channel adjacent said slot.

3. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and notched through its apex at one end;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

means releasably engaging said line within said apex notch to releasably retain said line within said channel.

4. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex;

a load-bearing cable having at least one concentrically disposed conductor extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said side walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

means releasably engaging said cable within said apex slot to releasably retain said cable within said channel.

5. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 4,

said slot being located intermediate the ends of said channel member.

6. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 4,

said slot being located at one end of said channel member,

7. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said side walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

a cylindrical clamp larger in outside diameter than the inside diameter of said channel member and mateably received within said apex slot to releasably engage and retain said line within said channel.

8. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 7,

said cylindrical clamp comprising at least two interconnected parts, each part having arcuate packing segments attached to the inside surface of said cylindrical clamp for providing a quick release from said line when said cylindrical clamp is opened.

9. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex intermediate its ends;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said side walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

a cylindrical clamp larger in outside diameter than the inside diameter of said channel member and mateably received within said apex slot to releasably engage and retain said line within said channel adjacent said slot.

10. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and notched through its apex at one end;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a fin member extending from one of said side walls and in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

a cylindrical clamp larger in outside diameter than the inside diameter of said channel member and mateably received within said apex notch to releasably engage and retain said line within said channel.

11. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a continuous web member integral with and forming an extension of one of said side walls, the terminal edge portion of said extension being disposed in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

means releasably engaging said line within said apex slot to releasably retain said line within said channel adjacent said slot.

12. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex;

a load-bearing cable having concentrically disposed conductors extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a continuous web member integral with and forming an extension of one of said side walls, the terminal edge portion of said extension being disposed in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member to provide the assembly with hydrodynamic stability; and

a cylindrical clamp larger in outside diameter than the inside diameter of said channel member and mateably received within said apex slot to releasably engage and retain said line within said channel.

13. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 12,

said cylindrical clamp having a plurality of arcuate packing segments of less than 180 degrees attached to the inside surfaces of said cylindrical clamp for providing a quick release from said line when said cylindrical clamp is opened.

14. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing sub merged objects, said assembly comprising a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls and slotted through its apex;

a line extending through said channel and laterally removable therefrom;

a first continuous web member integral with and forming an extension of one of said side Walls, the terminal edge portion of said first web member being disposed in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member;

a second continuous web member integral with and forming an extension of the other of said side walls, the terminal edge portion of said second web memher being disposed in a plane approximately bisecting the apex of said channel member, and

means releasably engaging said line within said apex slot to releasably retain said line within said channel adjacent said slot.

15. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 14,

said apex slot being located intermediate the ends of said channel member.

16. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 14,

said apex slot being located at one end of said channel member.

17. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a load-bearing line,

a plurality of detachable fairings disposed longitudinally along said load-bearing line, each fairing including a channel member, ovoid in cross-section and having bilaterally symmetrical arcuate side walls slotted through its apex at both the upper and lower edges of said channel member,

said channel member adapted to laterally accommodate said load-bearing line,

a plurality of spacers placed about said load-bearing line between some of said fairings, each ,of said spacers separating the proximate edges of said adjacent fairings,

allowing the adjacent ones of said fairing to rotate about said line without interfering with one another, and

allowing said load-bearing line to twist freely with in its confines, and a plurality of clamps secured to said load-bearing line between those of said fairings where there is not one 5 of said spacers,

said clamps being located at a sufficient number of places in preference to said spacers for transferring the weight of said fairings and spacers to said load-bearing line. 10 18. A marine tow-line assembly in accordance with claim 17 wherein each of sad spacers are placed abuttingly within the slots of adjacent fairings to keep them spaced longitudinally apart said spacer being of larger outside diameter than the inside diameter of the channel,

said spacer including a depending portion for wedgedly securing the spacer in one of the adjacent fairings while allowing the other of the adjacent fairings to rotate freely with respect to said spacer.

19. In combination with a marine tow-line assembly comprising a load-bearing line and at least one fairing having a channel for receiving the load-bearing line slotted in at least one place through its apex, the improvement of a cylindrical clamp larger in outside diameter than the inside diameter of the channel and inateably received within the apex slot to releasably engage and retain the line within the channel,

said cylindical clamp comprising at 'least two in terconnected parts, each part having arcuate packing segments attached to the inside surface of said cylindrical clamp for providing a quick release from the line when said cylindrical clamp is opened.

20. In combination with a tow-line assembly comprising a load-bearing line,

a plurality of fairings longitudinally disposed therealong,

each fairing having a channel for receiving the loadbearing line and slotted at either end of the channel through its apex, and

clamping means for transferring the weight of the fairings to the load-bearing line, the improvement of a spacer placed a'buttingly within some of the slots of adjacent fairings to keep them spaced longitudinally apart said spacer being of larger outside diameter than the inside diameter of the channel,

said spacer including a depending portion for wedgedly securing the spacer in one of the adjacent fairing-s while allowing the other of the adjacent fairings to rotate freely with respect to said spacer.

21. A spacer in accordance with claim 20, said spacer comprising a first half arcuate in the longitudinal direction for accommodating the line,

a second arcuate half that is a substantial mirror complement of said first half,

a .hingle joining said first and second .halves at their back edges to allow the halves to be opened for accommodating the line,

said first and second halves defining an assembly with a diverging slot formed in the inside front opening edges of said first and second halves, the widest portion of which is at the edge of the spacer opposite said depending portion,

said slot facilitating placement of the assembly around the line.

22. A spacer in accordance with claim 21, wherein said hinge is a joining extension of material of said first 7 and second halves.

23. A spacer in accordance with claim 21, wherein said hinge is an adhesive material attached to said first and second halves for joining them together.

24. A marine tow-line assembly for use in towing submerged objects, said assembly comprising a load-bearing line connected between the towing and the towed object,

a plurality of readily detachable fairings at intervals along the longitudinal axis of said line in nonengag ing relationship with one another, each of said fairings having an arcuate channel internal to its leading edge for surrounding said line, and

at least one trailing fin,

said fairing being streamlined to possess neutral hydrodynamic properties, and

releasable clamping means secured to said load-bearing line for positioning each of said fairings in an essentially fixed longitudinal relationship with respect to the other of said fairings while leaving each of said fairings free to rotate about said line without interfering with the other of said fairings,

References fitted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,401,783 6/1946 VVilcoxon ll4-235 2,891,501 6/1959 Rather l14235 3,060,886 10/1962 Rather et al. ll4235 3,092,067 6/1963 Armstrong 114-235 3,176,646 4/1965 Natwick et al. 114-235 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MARINE TOW-LINE ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN TOWING SUBMERGED OBJECTS, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CHANNEL MEMBER, OVOID IN CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING BILATERALLY SYMMETRICAL ARCUATE SIDE WALLS WITH AN OPENING THROUGH ITS APEX; A LINE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CHANNEL AND LATERALLY REMOVABLE THEREFROM; A FIN MEMBER EXTENDING FROM ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND IN A PLANE APPROXIMATELY BISECTING THE APEX OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBER TO PROVIDE THE ASSEMBLY WITH HYDRODYNAMIC STABILITY; AND MEANS RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID LINE WITHIN SAID APEX OPENING TO RELEASABLY RETAIN SAIDLINE WITHIN SAID CHANNEL. 